The present invention generally relates to structures and apparatus, systems and methods for use in playing games. More particularly, the present invention is directed to a game table for use in playing a game that uses at least one ball of a selected diameter. Additionally, the present invention includes a game set for use in playing a game and a method of playing a game using a game set according to the present invention.
Games have been an integral part of life for thousands of years. In many ancient cultures around the world, man""s gregarious and social nature motivated the pursuit of many leisure activities that attracted the participation of both men and women. Many of these leisure activities involved competition relating to sports and exercise activities. Perhaps the best known of all ancient games is the Olympic Games, which derived from a Greek religious festival held in Olympia, Greece every four years. In modern times, the Olympic Games have not only achieved a valued form of social interaction among the participants, but also promote an understanding and friendship among the participating nations worldwide.
As in the past, games continue to provide an excellent forum for stimulating social interaction, and perhaps most importantly, as a source of fun. During large social occasions such as weddings and parties, games create a means for inspiring interaction among the guests, adding more life to the party and keeping them entertained so as to prevent boredom. Even in smaller settings, such as the kitchen table, games provide an opportunity for many families and friends to spend quality time with each other, in addition to a welcome relief from the monotony of watching television shows, movies, and video games. Modern day technology has even added a new dimension to the overall scheme of social interaction. For example, the Internet now serves as a new forum for online multiplayer games, permitting interaction with other players who very likely are participating from computers located all around the world.
Today, games exist in a large variety of categories including card games, board games, multi-player games, single-player games, arcade games, computer games, and the like. One popular category of games includes table games, such as pool or billiards. Pool tables have become a very popular and common staple of entertainment in many homes and in many social gathering places such as bars, pubs and the like. However, dedicated pool players often have a great deal of acquired skill, such that other persons wishing to play pool in public areas may feel intimidated. Further, many persons may ultimately become bored with this common table game, such that business establishments might attract patrons by providing an alternative thereto. Accordingly, a need exists in the art for a new and improved game and apparatus for use therewith, such as a game that can be enjoyed by many people in both public gathering places and private homes. The present invention is directed to meeting these needs.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a new and useful game table for use in playing a game.
It is another object to provide a game table that can be provided by business establishments of public gathering places for the entertainment of customers.
It is yet another object to provide a game set including various items for playing a game according to the present invention.
A still further object is to provide a method for playing a game that can be played by persons of varying degrees of skill therein.
According to the present invention, then, a game table is provided for use in playing a game that uses at least one ball of a selected diameter. The game table comprises a play area having a surface including a central region and a surrounding perimeter, a cushion disposed along at least a portion of the perimeter, and a target array disposed in the central region and including an elongated barrier structure having a selected length and extending through a portion of the central region and operative to prevent direct passage of a ball therepast, and at least one primary target sized and adapted to receive and retain therein at least one ball of the selected diameter, each primary target including a pair of opposed side wall portions configured to form a ball receiving bay that is operative to retain a ball received therein, and an open mouth of a width sized to receive the ball therethrough, thereby to allow the ball to enter the ball receiving bay.
The surface may extend entirely in a plane, and the game table may include a layer of a felt fabric that extends across the play area to define the surface. The surrounding perimeter of the play area may define a circular, ovoid or polygonal shape, and an outer perimeter of the game table may be contiguous with the surrounding perimeter of the play area. The cushion may extend along a majority of the surrounding perimeter, and may comprise a resilient material extending inwardly from therefrom. The elongated barrier structure may be discontinuous along the length thereof, and may be linear, curvilinear, V-shaped or stair-stepped. At least one end rail may extend transversely from an end portion thereof. The primary target may be disposed adjacent to or spaced apart from the elongated barrier structure, and a plurality of primary targets may be disposed in the central region. At least one secondary target may be defined on one side by the elongated barrier structure and on another side by a side wall portion of a primary target, and at least some secondary targets may each be interposed between adjacent ones of the primary targets. Each side wall portion may include an inner face adjacent the ball receiving bay, an outer face opposite the inner face, and a shoulder interconnecting the inner face and the outer face and oriented at an acute angle to the inner face.
The ball receiving bay may have a width at least as great as the selected diameter of the ball and a length configured such that when the ball receiving bay is filled with balls, from half to a major portion of an outermost ball is in the ball receiving bay and from half to a minor portion of the outermost ball extends outside of the ball receiving bay. The length may be approximately (nxe2x88x92xc2xd)d and the width approximately d, where d is the selected diameter and where n is an integer.
A pair of opposed guide walls may be configured to form a chute having an entryway wider than the open mouth and an exit wider than the selected diameter, where the opposed guide walls are oriented to direct a ball received therethrough toward the open mouth. At least a portion of each pair of opposed guide walls may converge in a direction toward the open mouth; a portion of each guide wall may also be curvilinear. The pair of opposed guide walls may be symmetric about a central axis extending through the open mouth, and each guide wall may be connected to the surface by a fastener including a dampening element, such as a polymeric washer, operative to absorb an impact of one of the balls against the guide wall thereby to minimize a rebound of the ball off of the guide wall.
The present invention also relates to a game set for use in playing a game, comprising a plurality of balls of a selected diameter, a game table, an annular tee adapted to be placed between one of the plurality of balls and the surface thereby to releasably retain the ball in a selected location on the surface, and a striking instrument having a face adapted to contact one of the balls whereby the striking instrument can be used by a player of the game to strike the ball thereby to propel it across the play area toward the perimeter.
The plurality of balls may include a first set of balls of a first color and a second set of balls of a second color different from the first color. The game set may further include a pad having a selected geometric configuration and a selected thickness and adapted to be placed between the surface and the annular tee, thereby to minimize the impact of the striking instrument against the surface. The striking instrument is preferably a hammer having an elongated head and a handle extending therefrom, where the elongated head may include a centralized bore and a metal weight disposed therein. The metal weight may protrude from at least one end of the elongated head, and a layer of material, such as a leather pad, may be adhered to a portion of the metal weight that protrudes from the elongated head.
A support structure, such as one including a plurality of legs of various heights, may be provided that is adapted to be placed on a horizontal support surface and support the game table at an acute angle with respect to the horizontal support surface, whereby the game table has a lower edge, an upper edge and first and second side edges. A tee area may be located medially between the first and second side edges of the game table and between the target array and the lower edge of the game table
Finally, the present invention relates to a method of playing a game using a plurality of balls, an annular tee, a striking instrument having a face adapted to contact one of the balls, and a game table that includes a play area having a surrounding perimeter and a target array that includes a plurality of targets having score values. The method comprises placing one of the balls on the tee in a selected location on the surface, striking the ball with the striking instrument thereby to propel the ball across the play area toward the perimeter, such that balls incident to the perimeter are redirected across the play area as reflected balls, repeating the placing and striking steps with each one of the balls, and calculating a score of the game by tallying the score values correlating to the position of each one of the balls relative to the targets.
Two players may alternately each perform the placing and striking steps on a selected number of balls of a respective first type and second type corresponding to each player. The step of striking the ball may be accomplished by swinging a hammer in an arc disposed in a generally horizontal plane. The method may be performed such that a first ball is propelled in a first direction across the play area and a second ball is propelled in a second direction across the play area that is generally opposite from the first direction. The step of striking the ball may further be accomplished to direct the ball around an elongated barrier structure and into the target array. The step of calculating a score may include tallying a respective score for each ball in a respective target.
These and other objects of the present invention will become more readily appreciated and understood from a consideration of the following detailed description of the exemplary embodiments of the present invention when taken together with the accompanying drawings, in which: